Single-acting flat-bed web perfecting printing press



P. F. COX

Aug. 19, 1947.

SINGLE ACTING FLAT BED WEB PERFECTING PRINTING PRESS Filed April 16,1944 5 Sheets-Sheeti |l||l1| llllllllrail Irlllll! l Aug. 19, 1947. v p,x 2,425,920

SINGLE ACTING F LAT BED WEKPERFECTING PRINTING PRESS Fild April 6, 19445 Sheets-Sheet 2 F wo o I l -L Aug. 19, 1947. p, x 2,425,920

SINGLE ACTING FLAT BED WEB PERFECTING PRINTING PRESS Filed April 6, 19445 Sheets-Sheet s P. F. COX

Aug. 19, 1947.

SINGLE ACTING FLAT BED WEB PERFECTING PRINTING PRESS Filed April 6, 19445 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patente Aug. l, 1947 SHNGLE-ACTING FLAT-BED WEBPERFECT- ING PRINTING PRESS 15 Claims. I

This invention is a novel printing press particularly adapted for use bythe publishers of daily newspapers in small towns; and one objectthereof is to produce a small inexpensive flat bed roll-fed webperfecting press which can compete in cost with the usual hand-fedcylinder presses which at present are the only presses available to thesmall daily and weekly publisher. Flat bed web presses have heretoforebeen produced, but there is a present tendency to increase the costthereof owing to constantly added improvements to such extent that theirinitial low-cost feature has been for the most part lost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a single acting flat bedweb perfecting press which can compete with the faster presses in whichspeed was the most important feature.

Another object of my invention is to provide a roll-fed web perfectingpress that will produce the same quality of printing as any other pressin its class, and more particularly will be within the cost range of thesmall publisher who is not so much interested in speed as in cost. Manysmall publishers ar now using the hand-feed cut-sheet presses and aredesirous of obtaining an inexpensivepress that will put them into theroll-fed web press class which would permit them to perfect their daily,weekly, or other product in one single operation thus printing theireditions at more than double the speed of their present hand-fedequipment. It is not the fault of the small publisher that he is unableto purchase a roll-fed web press suitable for his publication. He is inthe market for such a press, but cannot be expected to purchase a pressthat is larger than necessary for his publication, nor can the pressmanufacturer sell him a press having twice the capacity of his needs.Few such publishers will pay more for a press than it is worth to him,though the press may have greater capacity than his needs.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a press which I prefer tocall a pendulum press, because of its novel cylinder action and arrangement of parts, and in which old well-tried features of the flat bed webpress type are arranged in a novel manner which will eliminate many idlerollers, cams, shafts, gears, and other elements which heretofore werenecessary in presses of this type; also to provide in such presses a newarrangement of parts designed to economize floor space; said presscomprising a single-acting flat bed Web perfecting press having atravelling impression cylinder, a pair of pendulum swinging barscoacting with the impression cylinder, said bars being suspended from ahorizontal shaft located above the printing couples, and beingperpendicularly arranged and loosely pivoted at their upper ends on saidshaft, their lower ends being loosely connected with the impressioncylinder journals, together with means for giving the bars apendulum-like motion to and fro, whereby the impression cylinder may bemoved forwards and backwards over the type bed; a pair of turning barsarranged directly above the impression cylinder and type bed directlyabove the printing couples, thereby reducing the length of the press atleast four feet, and the pendulum construction permitting a furtherreduction in floor space; and a driven web feed roll adjacent theturning bars, whereby the advancing web is fed to the bars before theweb is turned Over, the same Web feed roll receiving and advancing theweb back to the impression cylinder after the web is turned over.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a novel Pendulumpress having a type- 'bed which is readily accessible to the operatorpermitting quick changes in pages or corrections in type forms which areso often necessary during press time; said press having an efficientlinking system and distribution; also a press in which all rollers areinterchangeable, three composition rollers only necessary to perfect a4-page newspaper or an S-page tabloid publication; also to provide apress which is so simple in construction that it will produce highquality printing owing to the fact that of the web idle rollers areeliminated in my pendulum press; also a press which can be built with orwithout a folder; and in which colored posters can be printed, and ifdesired delivered fiat, a feature not found in other fiat bed webnewspaper presses.

A further essential feature and object of my invention is to provide apress of the above class so designed that the press may be shippedcomplete erected, thus saving the purchaser the expense of erectionheretofore added on to the initial press cost, and which press will notrequire the provision of a pit upon arriving at its destination.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate one practical embodiment thereof to enable othersfamiliar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize inthe claims the novel features of construction and novel combinations ofparts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of my press looking at theroll-feed end.

Fig. 2 is one side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof looking at the opposite side.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the machine shown in the preceding figures.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line $6, Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the Geneva gear.

As shown, my novel fiat-bed web perfecting press consists of a base Iwhich is the stationary type bed, preferably of width to accommodate twowidths of type forms and of the paper web side by side, said bed beingaccessibly disposed close to the floor for convenience of the operator,At opposite sides of bed I are uprights 2 and 3 respectively which arepreferably rectangular in shape and open, and are connected together bymeans of angular bars 4 and 5, or the like, connecting the side frames 2and 3 adjacent their upper ends.

Extending from the lower portion of frames 2 and 3 are extensions 2a and3a respectively having downwardly directed slots 2b and 3b respectivelyreceiving opposite ends of a shaft 5 upon which is mounted the -011 ofpaper W which is to be fed into the press, the roll W being disposedupon shaft 6 opposite one-half of the width of base I.

Disposed horizontally at the lower ends of side frames 2 and 3 abovebase I are slots 20-30 respectively (Figs. 5 and 6) receiving slidingblocks 1 carrying eccentric journals for an impression cylinder 8extending the full Width of the bed and carrying a gear Ba at one endmeshing with a rack 9 so as to cause rotation of cylinder 8 as the sameis moved backwards and forwards across the type beds as hereinafterdescribed, the eccentric bearings being actuated by an arm 81)cooperating with pins l and II (Fig. 2) on the side of frame 2 so thatcylinder 8 will be lowered when moving toward the web roll W and will beraised when moving in the opposite direction. The sliding blocks 1 alsocarry ink-distributing rolls l2, which ink the forms on the bed from asuitable fountain I00 (Fig. 6).

In order to move blocks '1, I provide pendulum arms l3 which are slottedas at 13c at their upper ends and slidably engage a fixed rod i4extending between frames 2 and 3 adjacent the upper portions thereof,substantially centrally of the frames, the lower ends of the arms l3being mounted upon the ends of the shaft of the impression cylinder 8.Slots l3a permit the arms I 3 to move upwardly and downwardly withrespect to rod 14 as the arms are rocked.

, In order to simultaneously rock arms 3 to reciprocate impressioncylinder 8, I provide a shaft journaled in and extending between theframes 2 and 3, shaft [5 carrying on its outer ends relatively largegears l6 which are keyed to shaft i5 so as to rotate therewith. Gears 16each carry links H mounted on eccentric pins lSa ad- J'acent theperiphery of gears [6, the opposite ends of links ll being connected asat Ha with the pendulum arms I3 at points adjacent their centers so thatthe pendulum arms l3 will be swung on rod [4 as shaft I5 is rotated toreciprocate impression cylinder 3 above the parallel type bed on base I.

Journaled between frames 2 and 3 below shaft 15 is a drive shaft 13carrying pinions l9 which mesh directly with gears l6, said shaft I8also carrying a drive pulley 23 (Fig. 1) which may be operated by a belt21, and also preferably carrying a fly-wheel (not shown) Journaled inframes 2 and 3, above shaft 15, are a pair of contacting feed rolls 22and 23, said rolls carrying at one end gears 22a and 23a (Fig. 1)respectively whereby the feed rolls are caused to rotate simultaneouslyat equal speeds but in the opposite direction. Cooperating with upperfeed roll 22 is a roll 21 geared to roll 22 and journaled in frames 2and 3. Feed rolls 22 and 23 are driven from shaft i5 by means of amutilated gear. As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 7, a gear 24is mounted upon shaft l5 directly below and adapted to mesh with gear23a on the shaft of feed roll 23, said gear 24 having a, cutout ortoothless portion 24a extending throughout half of its periphery, sothat when the cutout 24a comes opposite gear 23a the said gear 23a willcease to be rotated, the cut-out portion 26a being such that the feedrolls 2223 will not be rotated during the time when impression cylinder8 is being moved by arms [3 toward the web roll W but gear 22 willrotate the gears 22a and 232 when impression cylinde 8 is moving in theopposite direction, i. e., away from web roll W.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in order to prevent rotation of feed rolls22, 23 during the time that the cut-out portion 220. of gear 24 isopposite gear 23a, I provide a circular disk 25 mounted upon shaft I5between frame 2 and the related gear 15, said disk 25 having a cut-outportion 25a extending 180 of the circumference thereof. Cooperating withdisk 25 is a disk 25 (Fig. 2) on the shaft of roll 23, said disk 26having an arcuate recess 26a in its periphery conforming with thecurvature of the larger diameter of disk 25, said cut-out 28a beingadapted to slide upon the larger diameter of disk 25 during the timethat the cutout portion 24a of gear 24 i opposite gear 232, the arcuateportion 26a of disk 26 running off the end of the larger diameter ofdisk 25 at the time that the teeth of gear 22 begin to mesh with thegear 23a, the disk 25 merely rotatin on the cutout portion 25a of disk25 during the remaining portion of the single revolution of shaft !5.When the teeth of gear 24 pass beyond gear 23a the disk 26 will be inposition shown in Fig. 2 and the cut-out 2511 will upon further rotationof shaft l5 slide upon the larger diameter of disk 25.

Thus the feed rolls 22, 23 are rotated during half of each revolution ofshaft i5 and are then held by means of the disks 25, 25 against rotationduring the remaining half of each revolution, the arrangement being suchthat the feed rolls 22, 23 are held against rotation during the timethat the impression cylinder 8 is movin toward the web roll W, but arepositively rotated by shaft when impression cylinder 8 is moving in theopposite direction, 1. e., away from web roll W.

Journaled between frames 23 adjacent the upper ends thereof is a thirdfeed roll 23, above which is journaled a roll 29 geared to roll 28. Roll28 is driven directly by feed roll 2 3, as shown more particularly inFigs. 5 and 6. In Figs. 1 and 5, a sprocket 23b is shown mounted on theroll 23 in alignment with a sprocket 28a of same size mounted on feedroll 28, and a chain 39 runs around sprockets 23b and 28a whereby therolls 23 and 28 are simultaneously driven at the same speed and inthesame direction, roll 28 being of course stationary when 101123 isstationary. Instead of utilizing the chain and sprocket drive shown inFig.'5,-an alternate drive may be used a shown 23, said shaft 3i alsocarrying a beveled pinion 36 meshing with beveled gear 37 on the shaftof feed roll 28, whereby roll 28 will be driven at the same-speed in thesame direction as roll 23.

However, any other desired drive for rotating. roll 28 by and with roll23 may be used.

Disposed between frames I, 2 above ieed rolls 28 and Z9 is a web guidebar 36; and at the upper front ends of the frames 2, 3 is a supportingbar 4 i. As shown in Fig. 4 a web-turning bar as has one end supportedupon an adjustable block 43 disposed at the center of supporting bar lland its other end secured as at 32a to the frame 2, said bar 12 beingdisposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the press and lying in thehorizontal plane of the guide bar as. Similarly, a web-turning bar ldhas one end supported upon an adjustable block 55 mounted uponsupporting bat 4! adjacent the frame 3 and its other end supported by abracket 55 disposed adjacent the longitudinal axis of the press, saidbar 4 3- being disposed in the horizontal plane of the'web guiding bar48 and being disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the press andparallel with the bar 32. As shown, the turning bars Q2 and 3 3 aredisposed directly over the type beds and impression cylinder 3, therebyeffecting a material saving in necessary size or area of the base i ofthe press so that same may be maintained at a minimum size.

Disposed horizontally on frame 3, adjacent the upper end thereof, is aweb-reversing bar 5-? which i rotatably mounted in bearings 53 carriedby extension arms id of frame 3, and bearings d8 being adjustablymounted on extensions 49- and forming a means for efiecting register ofthe impression on one side of the web with those on the other side, theadjustability of rod 47 permitting the effective length of the web inits path through the machine to be varied.

The web from roll W passes into the press under shaft l8, as shown moreparticularly in Figs, 2 and 5 and then passes upwardly in front of feedrolls 22, 23 and over roll 22 and between rolls 22 and 27, from whencethe web passes upwardly and over a guide bar 5% extending between frames2 and 3, and from thence downwardly in the direction of the arrow w(Fig. 5) and under the impression cylinder from whence the web passesupwardly as at w and over feed roll 28 and between the feed rolls 28 and29, the web then passing upwardly and over the guide bar :36. The webthen passes horizontally and forwardly as at 102 (Fig. 4) and under theangle bar 412 from whence same passes laterally a at 103 under and overthe adjustable web reversing bar ill, from whence the web passesinwardly as at 205 (Fig. 4) under and over the angle turning bar M fromwhence the web passes rearwardly as at Z115 over the guide bar 39, fromwhence the web passes downwardly as shown in Fig. 6 to and between therolls 28 and 29 and then passes downwardly as at wfi to and underimpression cylinder 8, from whence the web passes upwardly at wi overthe bar 5 and downwardly as at 108 between the roll 21 and feed roll 22,the web then passing forwardly in a horizontal direction between thefeed rolls 22 and 23, and from thence the web may pass, to cutting,folding or other cylinders, as desired.

By the above construction, as drive shaft i8 is continuously rotated,the impression cylinder 2 is reciprocated across the parallel type bedsby the pendulum arms l3 which are actuated by into printing contact withthe type beds when movingin the opposite direction, i. e., towards theweb r011 W. By reason of the Geneva drive of the feed rolls 22, 23 and28, same will be driven only when the impression cylinder is moving awayfrom web roll Wand will be held against rotation by the disks 25,26 whenthe impression cylinderis moving towards the web roll W. Thus when theimpression cylinder 8 is moving away from roll'W a length of web will befedfrom the roll by the feed rolls 22, 23 and 28 to bring an unprintedportion of the web into position for printing, so that, when .theimpression cylinder is moving on the printing stroke towards the webroll W, the stationary web will be printed while the feed rolls 22, 23and 28 remain stationary. i

As the web from roll W passes from the roll over the type bed, one sideof the web will be printed, whereupon the web is directed to the turningbars 42 and 44 arranged over the bed and impression cylinder and will beturned over by the arrangement of turning bars and will be re-directedto the other side of the type bed, thus providing a web perfecting unitof simple design and construction, the adjustment of webturning bar 41serving to maintain register of the printed portions on both sides ofthe web.

My fiat bed roll-fed web perfecting press will produce the same highquality of printing as any other press in its class, and is so designedthat it may be sold within the cost range of the small publisher, sincewhile embodying certain features of flat bed web presses heretoforemanufactured the arrangement of parts is such that many idle cams,gears, shafts and other elements are eliminated.

My novel press is moreover so arranged and designed to economize floorspace. In my press the pendulum arms pivoted at their upper ends on theframes with their lower ends carrying the journals of the impressioncylinder, provide means for moving the impression cylinder to and froover the bed, and this pendulum construction together with the featureof placing the turning bars 42 and 44 directly above the print: ingcouples reduces the length of the press. Moreover, in my novel pendulumpress the type bed is so arranged as to be readily accessible to theoperator permitting quick changes or corrections in type forms, and thearrangement is such that efiicient inking systems and ink distributionsystems may be utilized. In my press a minimum of interchangeablecomposition rolls are necessary to perfect a l-page newspaper or anB-page tabloid publication. Moreover, my press is so designed that itmay be shipped completely erected and doesnot require the provision of apit at its place of installation.

I do not consider my invention limited to the exact form shown in thedrawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scopeof'the claims.

I claim:

1. In a web perfecting printing press having a stationary type bed, andhaving a travelling impression cylinder cooperating therewith; webturning means disposed directly over the type bed andimpressioncylinder; a drive web feed roll adjacent the turning means for receivingand advancing the web from the impression cylinder to the turningmeansbefore the web is turned over and for, receiving and returning theweb to the impression cylinder after the web is turned over.x r

masses In a press :as :set zferth :iniclaim "i1, aneans in thewebzturning meanseiorregisteringrtheareas of impression onthewebion-oppositesidaesthereof.

3. In a press as :set forthfin 'claim li said'turning means directing:the -webitoion'e side got :the press; and aweb/reversingebarzatgsaidisideofzthe press, said reversing:baribeingadjustahleztcrmaintain register o'fnthe 'printedzareas on bothsides of the web.

4. In a web perfecting presszhaving a. pair Jof printing means, webturning-imeans qdisposeii directly above the printing ;means, and :a:driven web feed ro'll adjacentitheitnrningrmeansi'for receiving andadvancing :the web from the :first printing means to the turning meansbefore 5121518 web is turned over andforireeei-vingeand :r'etnrm ing theweb to ;the second .printingzmeans after the web is turned on. v

5. In a press :asset iorth in claim 54, :means inthewebiturningmeans'fonregistering the areas of impression on the :webon oppositesides thereof. s i

6. In apress as set;forth :m:claim 4, saidtturning means directing thewebrtozonesideof Tthe press; and a web reversing :bar at said side roofthe .press, said. reversing Joarzheing adjnstdble towards or from thepresstoimairrtainregisterof the printed areas on hoth sidesiofizthezweb.

7. In a'webiperfecting:printingrpress aiframa a horizontalstationarytype :bed :therein, at travelling impression cylinder guldedill). ithe frame; means for moving the cylinder; means foriholding thecylinder ofi-impressi'on ronmneastroke'rthereof and for holding :thecylindenon-impression during the other stroke; a pair of web feedingrollsrj'ournaled in the'frame atone end;5intermittent1means for rotatinthe feed rollswhile :theecylinder is off-impression; a second pair.ofifeed :rolls journaled in theframeat theroppos'ite end;:means forrotating the second pair :of feedirolls :with the first pair; webturning means tin the frame :arranged directlyover the type bedsrespectively; and meansrfor directing ithe meb fromi'the first pair offeed rolls under the :cylinder abovewne side of theibed an'clitotheise'condmairofifeed'rolls and to said web turning :means; :the web'being returned from :said :turning means tto'sthe seoon'd pair of feedrollstoaandunder::thedmpressioncylinder above the other side :of ithetyperbed, cand from=thencedirectedLout ofztheqpress by the first pair offeed'rolls. i

8. In a:press:asset.:for.th inrclaimu'hrmeans in the web turningmeans:formegisteringithecareas of impression on thelwebnnopposite-side's thereof.

9. In a press a'ssetiorthdnplaimflgsaidintermittent meanscomprisingsintermeshin sgears on the first pair of feedrollsrespect'mely; ashaftadjacent said rolls, an intermittent (gearonzsaid shaft having teethextending 180 around itsperiphery and adaptedto mesh with OHQQfrSflidiIltermeshing gears; a disk on said shaft havinga cut-out extending 180 around its periphery; a second disk on the feed.rolLhaving a peripheral arcuate recess slidably engaging ltheraise'dlportion ofithe first diskwhile the'feedi roll gearis out of meshwith the teeth .of' the intermittent gear to prevent'rotation ofthefeedrolls.

10. In a press as set forthin claim7, saidturning means directing the"web *to one side of the press; and-a web-reversing'-=bar*at saidside'of the press, saidreversing banbeingadwstabletawards or from the:press to :maintain register of the printedtareasonibothisideszoft'thelweb.

11. In a web perfecting printing press, a frame,

astationaryztype bed therein,.atravelling-impiession cylinderguided inthe frame; a pair of swingablearms having their upper ends pivoted tothe frame :and their lower ends engaging the ends of the impressioncylinder; means for simultaneously swinging the arms in a pendulum-likemotion to move the impression cylinder back and forth above'the'bed;'means for holding the cylinder 01T- impressionon one stroke thereof andfor holding the cylinder on-impression during the other stroke; a pairof web feeding rolls journaled in the frame at one end; intermittentmeans for rotating the feed rolls while the cylinder is offimpression; asecond pair of feed rolls journaled in the "frame at the opposite end;means for rotating the second pair of feed rolls with the first pair;web turning means in the frame arranged directly over the type bedrespectively; and means for directing the web from the first pair offeed rolls under the cylinder and above the bed at one sideof the press,the web passing to the second pair of feedrolls to advance the web tothe turning;means,'and the web being returned from said turning means tothe second pair of feed rolls to "and under the impression cylinderabove the type bed at the opposite side of the press and from thencedirected out of the press by the first pair of feed rolls.

12. In apress asset forth in claim 11, means in'the turning means forregistering the areas of impression on the'web on opposite sidesthereof.

13. In a pressas set forth in claim 11, said turning means directing theweb to one side of the press; and a web reversing bar at said side ofthe press, said reversing bar being adjustable towards or from the pressto maintain register of the printed areas on-both sides of the web.

14. In a press as set forth in claim 11, said arm swinging 'meanscomprising a driven shaft journaled'in the frame; a second shaftjournaled in theframe; gears on the second shaft opposite said arms;;pinions 'on the driven shaft meshing with said gears; and linksconnecting eccentric pins on the gears with said arms adjacent their midpoints 15. In a press as'set'forth in claim 11, said intermittent meanscomprising intermeshing gears on the first pair of feedrollsrespectively; a shaft adjacent said rolls, an intermittent gear on saidshaft having teeth extending around its periphery and adaptedto meshwith one Of said intermeshing gears; a disk on said shaft having acut-out extending 180 around its periphery; a second disk on the feedroll having a peripheral arcuate recess slidably engaging the raisedportion of the firstdisk while the feed roll gear is out of mesh withthe teeth of the intermittent gear to prevent rotation of the feedrolls.

PAUL F. COX.

REFERENCES CITED ,The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 317,470 Prouty May '5, 1885569,310 "Wood Oct. 13, 1896 656,142 "Lasswell Aug. 14, 1900 742,232 ReadOct. 27, 1903 "81-1;121 -Bechman Jan. 30, 1906 2,176,371 Wahl Oct. 17,1939 694,597 Wood Mar, 4,1902 105,142 'July 22, 1902

